Prayers were ushered up on a cool spring night in Sioux City for fallen police officer Sgt. Jay Fleckenstein.More >>

Prayers were ushered up on a cool spring night in Sioux City for fallen police officer Sgt. Jay Fleckenstein.More >>

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) -

Another tearful goodbye Tuesday for a community servant, Sioux City Police Sergeant Jay Fleckenstein. Friends, family, and coworkers honored the man who loved his job, his dog and his family.

Jay Fleckenstein died at his home Friday of natural causes. For the past couple of days, there's been several tributes to the man many say always did the right thing, but Tuesday morning was the final goodbye to the officer.

In a somber processional, members of the Sioux City Police Department, the Woodbury County Sheriff's Office, Iowa State Patrol and other city employes walked together to the Orpheum Theatre for Sgt. Fleckenstein's funeral.

Fleckenstein was a 17-year veteran of the Sioux City Police force and was most recently in charge of the department's canine program.

Officers, deputies, troopers and canine units from many agencies attended the funeral to pay tribute to the fallen officer.

"It's a brotherhood," says Matt Brinkman with the Council Bluffs Police Department. "We stick together. It's important to show that obviously we're in the long haul. We support all agencies, all departments, all officers."

Those who knew him say he was dedicated to the police force, the community and his family.

"Jay was as big as a house, but you couldn't have anybody with a kinder heart. He would do anything for you," says Brinkman.

"He was hard nosed, but he was fair," says Sgt. Bill Melville with the Sioux City Police Department. "He saw the world a lot in black and white, right and wrong, and that's part of what made him so good at his job."

"You always knew where you stood and that's one thing I respect in a leader and a supervisor and Jay was one of the good ones and he will be missed," says a Sioux City Police officer who worked under Fleckenstein.

Fleckenstein spent countless hours training with his dog, Eik, and a few years ago showed KTIV how they work together to fight crime. His faithful, four-legged partner never left his side, even at the end.

Many of his fellow officers say the department will feel his loss for years to come.

"He had a little bit to give to everybody and that little bit was often his all, whether it was the canine program, whether it was invest, whether it was regular patrol," says Josh Fleckenstein, Fleckenstein's brother.

He will be remembered for his dedication to the community and others and for always doing what was right.

Fleckenstein and Eik were an award-winning team. The two won awards for narcotics detection and Eik was named the National Champion in 2010.